Hydrotherapy tank assembly

ABSTRACT

A self-contained hydrotherapy tank assembly of the hip tank type having an interior seat forming an exterior chamber, and a built in hydromassage system including a hydroair jet head assembly mounted in a wall of the tank, a pump installed in the exterior chamber, the pump having its suction end flow connected with the interior of the tank, and its discharge end connected to the hydroair jet head assembly An adjustable heater is provided in the system to maintain the temperature of water within a desired temperature range.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Roy A. Jacuzzi Oakland, Calif. [21] Appl. No. 779,491 [22] Filed Nov. 27, 1968 [45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [73] Assignee Jacuzzi Research, Inc.

[54] HYDROTHERAPY TANK ASSEMBLY 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. CI 4/180 [51] Int.Cl A47k 3/02, A6 1 h 33/02 [50] FieldofSearch 4/l73,180; 128/66 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,075,933 4/ 1937 Friedlander 4/173 2,947,996 8/ 1960 Newman 4;x4/178;18O 3,010,116 11/1961 Cowley 4;x4/146;173

n 13,571,s1s

3,263,678 8/1966 Everston..l 128;x4/66;180

3,297,025 1/1967 Jacuzzi 128;x4/66;180

3,396,412 8/1968 Francom 4/173 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,642 11/1934 Austria 4/173 478,938 3/1953 ltaly 4/173 Primary ExaminerLaveme D. Geiger Assistant Examiner- Donald B. Massenberg Attorney-Edward Brosler ABSTRACT: A self-contained hydrotherapy tank assembly of the hip tank type having an interior seat forming an exterior chamber, and a built in hydromassage system including a hydroair jet head assembly mounted in a wall of the tank, a pump installed in the exterior chamber, the pump having its suction end flow connected with the interior of the tank, and its discharge end connected to the hydroair jet head assembly. An adjustable heater is provided in the system to maintain the temperature of Water within a desired temperature range.

PATENTEU mzs ISYI FIG. 2

FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

ROY A. JACUZZI ATTORNEY .3,57i,sis

HYDERQTHERAPY TANK ASSEMBLY My invention relates to hydrotherapy equipment and more particularly to a self-contained hydrotherapy tank assembly of the hip tank type.

Equipment of this character, presently available involves a tank conventional design having sufficient room for the placement of both a chair or stool on which a patient may sit, and a portable hydromassage unit to provide the necessary jet flow of air-charged water.

Among the object of my invention are:

1. To provide a novel and improved hydrotherapy tank assembly;

2. To provide a novel and improved hydrotherapy tank assembly forming a self-contained unit with all the elements necessary to perform the function of such equipment;

3. To provide a novel and improved hydrotherapy tank assembly in which temperature of the water may be controlled;

4. To provide a novel and improved hydrotherapy tank assembly which is of lightweight, compact and mobile;

5. To provide a novel and improved hydrotherapy tank assembly which is designed to facilitate entrance thereto of a pa tient from a wheelchair; and

6. To provide a novel and improved hydrotherapy tank assembly which may be installed with its upper rim at substantially floor level to function as a Japanese bath.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FllG. 1 is a view in perspective of a self-contained hydrotherapy tank assembly of the present invention;

PEG. 2 is a plan view of the tank assembly of FIG. 1; PEG. 3 is a view in section through the tank assembly of FIG. 11.

' Fit 4i is a view depicting a detail of the hydrotherapy system of the tank assembly of FIG. 1, relating to the installation of a heater therein; and

MG. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation, depicting a modification of the tank assembly of FIG. 1, to facilitate entrance to the tank of a wheelchair patient.

Broadly speaking, the invention resides in a self-contained hydrotherapy tank assembly of the hip tank type, in which all the components required in the functioning of such equipment are included in a unit assembly;

Referring to the drawings for details of a preferred form of such an assembly, the same includes a tank 1 having vertical sidewalls 3, 5, front wall 7, rear wall 59 and a bottom wall ii, with an interior step 13 in sealed relationship to the wall structure of the tank and forming an exterior recessed dry chamber t5. the tank is preferably molded of fiberglass or the like with the step molded integral with the wall structure of the tank to effect a perfect sealed relationship between the step and the wall structure, and a frame to bounding the recessed chamber, is anchored to the molded tank by fiberglass. v

The contour of the tank is of little importance to the present invention, but the step 13 which includes a riser i7 and a tread i9, should be of sufficient height to perform the function of a seat, and the vertical wall structure of the tank should be of sufiicient height to permit a seating patient to be, for the most part, submerged in water when using the equipment.

if the seat be contoured with a rising front edge as illustrated, a drain channel 211 along one side is provided.

in that portion of the vertical wall structure of the tank opposite the seat, which in the specific embodiment of the tank illustrated in the drawings, would comprise the front wall 7, the wall is provided with an intake opening 23 below the contemplated liquid level in the tank when in use.

A tank when so designed, permits of the installation thereon of a closed hydrotherapy system, which would include a hydroair jet head assembly 25 mounted on the front vertical wall at said intake opening, and a pump 27 installed on the frame to within the exterior chamber 15. The pump is preferably one of the centrifugal type, driven by an electric motor 29, the pump having a suction end 31 and a discharge end 33. The suction end is flow connected to the interior of the tank, preferably through the riser of the step by a flow connection 35, while the discharge end of the pump is flow connected to the hydroair jet head assembly by means of a flow connection 37 extending beneath the bottom of the tank and up along the exterior side of the front wall, for connection to the hydroair jet assembly. Y

The hydroair jet head assembly may be of the type illustrated in the patent to C. Jacuzzi for HYDROTHERAPY TUB, US. Pat. No. 3,297,025 of Jan. 10, 1967, which includes a snorkel-type tube dll for air intake. Such tube extends upwardly to a point above the contemplated liquid level of water in the tank, and preferably passes through the front wall and terminates within the tank above the liquid level therein, in an air adjustment d3 within reach of the patient sitting in the tank, the air adjustment being ofany suitable type, an example of one being disclosed in the patent to F. M. Nash for HYDROTHERAPY EQUIPMENT, US. Pat. No. 3,287,741 ofNov. 29, l966.

Included in the system as a feature of the present invention, is means 47 for heating the water and controlling the temperature thereof. This includes a heating element 49 of the electrical resistance type, inserted into the flow connection 35 to the pump, and preferably at a point adjacent the pump suction and such heating means may include a resistance control 51 for adjusting the magnitude of current to the heating element. This control may be exposed as shown or may be enclosed to preclude unauthorized tampering with after adjustment.

By mounting the tank assembly on casters, the same may be rolled to the patient, either prior to-or after filling with water, as the situation requires and being that the tank assembly is a self-contained unit, nothing further need be done except to place the patient in the tank, connect the tank motor to power and adjust the temperature if called for.

Following use of the equipment, the tank assembly will be drained of its liquid content, and for this purpose, a drain 55 is provided in the bottom of the tank, and may involve a discharge nozzle 57 with a manually controlled valve 59 for controlling draining. Thus the tank, in contemplation of draining the same, may be moved to some convenient floor drain, or in the alternative, syphoned into a bathtub through a suitable hose connected to the nozzle.

To facilitate the utilization of equipment of this type by a patient confined to a wheelchair or the like, the rear wall g of the tank, adjacent the rear of the seat, may be provided with a sealable door 65 hingedly secured along the rear edge of the seat and extending up through the upper rim of the wall. Any suitable manner of hinging and sealing of the door may be utilized such as use of a rubber-covered hinge 67 while the edge of the door opening may be covered with a sealing material such as rubber edging as against which the door may close and be pressure locked, as for example, by forming the door with ears 71 extending beyond the sidewalls, in position to be engaged by hinged bolts 73 on the sidewalls, carrying wingnuts 75 for clamping the door against the rubber edging to effect such seal.

With such hinged door available, it will be apparent that with the door in its open position, a patient may readily be slid from a wheelchair through the doorway onto the seat within the tank, following which the door may be closed and sealed, and the water then admitted into the tank.

From the foregoing description of my invention in its preferred form, it will be apparent that the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved, and l accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details illustrated and described, except as may be necessitated by the appended ciaims.

l claim:

A hydrotherapy tank assembly comprising a tank having vertical and bottom walls and an interior step in sealed relationship to certain of said walls to provide a seat and form an exterior dry chamber, a vertical wall having an intake opening below contemplated liquid level in said tank when in use, a hydrotherapy system installed on said tank, said system including a hydroair jet head assembly mounted on said vertical wall at said intake opening, a pump installed in said dry chamber, said pump having a suction and a discharge end, means flow connecting the suction end of said pump to the interior of said tank, means flow connecting the discharge end of said pump to said hydroair jet head assembly, heating means in said system including a heating element of the electrical resistance type in the liquid flow path of the system, and means for adjusting the magnitude of current to said heating element to control the temperature of liquid flowing in said system.

2. A hydrotherapy tank assembly as defined in claim 1, characterized by a scalable door included in the vertical wall of said tank adjacent the rear of said seat, means hingedly securing the said door in said wall along the rear edge of said seat with said door extending upwardly, said door being rotatable on its hinge axis from its vertical position to at least a horizontal position, to facilitate access of a patient to the seat in said tank from a mobile vehicle such as a wheelchair or the like.

3. A hydrotherapy tank assembly comprising a tank having vertical and bottom walls and a seat therein adjacent a vertical wall, a scalable door in said vertical wall of said tank, means hingedly securing said door in said wall with said door extending upwardly, said door being rotatable on its hinge axis from its vertical position to at least a horizontal position, to facilitate access of a patient to the seat in said tank from a mo- -bile vehicle such as a wheelchair or the like, and means for creating a hydrotherapeutic flow of water in said tank.

4. A hydrotherapy tank assembly in accordance with claim 3, characterized by said door being hingedly secured in said wall along substantially the rear edge of said seat and rotatable from its vertical position to an open position below the horizontal. 

1. A hydrotherapy tank assembly comprising a tank having vertical and bottom walls and an interior step in sealed relationship to certain of said walls to provide a seat and form an exterior dry chamber, a vertical wall having an intake opening below contemplated liquid level in said tank when in use, a hydrotherapy system installed on said tank, said system including a hydroair jet head assembly mounted on said vertical wall at said intake opening, a pump installed in said dry chamber, said pump having a suction and a discharge end, means flow connecting the suction end of said pump to the interior of said tank, means flow connecting the discharge end of said pump to said hydroair jet head assembly, heating means in said system including a heating element of the electrical resistance type in the liquid flow path of the system, and means for adjusting the magnitude of current to said heating element to control the temperature of liquid flowing in said system.
 2. A hydrotherapy tank assembly as defined in claim 1, characterized by a sealable door included in the vertical wall of said tank adjacent the rear of said seat, means hingedly securing the said door in said wall along the rear edge of said seat with said door extending upwardly, said door being rotatable on its hinge axis from its vertical position to at least a horizontal position, to facilitate access of a patient to the seat in said tank from a mobile vehicle such as a wheelchair or the like.
 3. A hydrotherapy tank assembly comprising a tank having vertical and bottom walls and a seat therein adjacent a vertical wall, a sealable door in said vertical wall of said tank, means hingedly securing said door in said wall with said door extending upwardly, said door being rotatable on its hinge axis from its vertical position to at least a horizontal position, to facilitate access of a patient to the seat in said tank from a mobile vehicle such as a wheelchair or the like, and means for creating a hydrotherapeutic flow of water in said tank.
 4. A hydrotherapy tank assembly in accordance with claim 3, characterized by said door being hingedly secured in said wall along substantially the rear edge of said seat and rotatable from its vertical position to an open position below the horizontal. 